


The One With the Dog

by Gamma1243



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adoption, Cute, Fluff, Gen, i just really wanted to write this okay, levi has a dog, soft, the dog is adorable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:42:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26779072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gamma1243/pseuds/Gamma1243
Summary: It was an ugly thing, drooping pointed ears and matted fur. Dark clumps of it stuck with a vengeance around its eyes and trailed along its back.Levi sneered at it.Disgusting, filthy animal.“The hell do you want?” He crossed his arms.~~Based off of Isayama confirming that Levi loves dogs~~
Comments: 5
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been on my mind for a long time. I hope y'all enjoy!!

It was an ugly thing, drooping pointed ears and matted fur. Dark clumps of it stuck with a vengeance around its eyes and trailed along its back. 

Levi sneered at it.

_ Disgusting, filthy animal.  _

The dog, or rather, puppy sat facing him, sunken blue eyes gazing at him sadly. Hungrily. Pathetically. 

Not too unlike a lonely child. 

He glanced around the back alley. No one in sight aside from the distant bustle at the markets in Stohess. Not even Hanji had followed him down here. 

He sighed, glaring back at the thing. 

It kept staring back. 

“The hell do you want?” He crossed his arms. 

If possible, its ears drooped even lower than before. It let out the most sorry excuse for a whine Levi had ever heard. High pitched, like a cross between a child crying for its mother and dying bird. It barely pierced the sound barrier coming from the market square. 

He scoffed. “Is that supposed to make me care? I’ve seen rats do better.”

The dog flicked its eyes downward, helplessly looking at a muddy puddle. Its head followed afterward, resting it in between its scrawny paws. It’s tail sat, unresponsive, in the dust beside it. 

Levi put his hands on his hips. “I know what you’re doing and it won’t work. It doesn’t work for Hanji and it won’t work for you. You’re a scrawny piece of filth, and I refuse to pity you.”

The dog didn’t even look up at his jab, though he’d half expected it to. It just sat there, looking like it had been trampled on, drowned, and then left for dead in this alley. 

_ I understand that… _

He glanced around again. Still no one. 

So he slowly approached the pup.

Careful to avoid the nasty puddle, which he now saw was filled with all sorts of putrid yuck, he knelt next to its head. 

The poor thing was no bigger than a loaf of bread. Malnourished and weak, it easily could have been mistaken as garbage. 

“...but you aren’t garbage are you. You’re  _ alive _ .” He muttered more to himself than to the dog. “Who left you here?” 

The pup cast its eyes upward at him. Pure ice. The lightest of blues, so clear they hit him right in the chest. 

“Hmmm.” He remarked. “You don’t totally look like shit after all.”

It let out that terrible whine again. It sounded like it ripped through the pup like a jagged knife tears through cloth. 

“Hey, do not give me attitude,” He pointed a threatening finger at it. “I won’t take it. Now I’m going to ask you one more time. Who left you here?”

Those eyes, so knowing, so beautiful, stared back. Unresponsive. 

Levi looked to the side and sighed again. “Look, this obviously isn’t working. I’m going to get Hanji. I think she speaks dog or some shit like that. Stay here.” He pointed his finger down at the spot it laid. 

Its eyes dropped downward. 

Levi stood. “I’ll be right back.” And strode back the way he came, glancing back at the pup to make sure it wasn’t wandering off. 

Ten minutes of searching the market for Hanji later, Levi returned to the mouth of the alley. It was their day off, and he couldn’t really blame Hanji for being nowhere to be found, it honestly was just like her, even if they had come here  _ together _ . Regardless, he huffed his way back towards the pup. 

“Okay listen up brat.” He shifted his gaze around the alley, thoughtful. “Old four eyes isn’t out there, clearly no one here wants you, and you’re just freeloading here, stinking up this shitty alley.”

The pup looked back up at him, that same sad expression in its eyes. Its tongue slipped from its lips to wet its nose. 

Levi pressed his lips together in a thin frown, hand on hip. “And you’re in a sorry state, even for a wild animal.” 

It was true. Dirt and grime covered the pup almost from nose to paw. It clearly was a fluffy little creature, though most of that fur was discolored from filth. It was nothing a bath couldn’t fix, but disgusting nonetheless.

“Which we can’t leave you in if we’re going to find your owner.” He knelt by it again. Its eyes perked up.

Levi removed his cape from his back, letting it fall over his hands. In a sort of awkward scoop, he picked up the puppy, careful not to let any part of it touch his hand, and wrapped the green fabric around it in a protective bundle. He didn’t know if he was worried or grateful when it didn’t fight or struggle against him. 

He caught a whiff of it’s fur in his nose. 

“Ugh.” He recoiled. “A bath might not be enough for you”

He stood, bundle cradled in his hands, and walked out of the alley. 

He’d have to leave a note for Hanji telling her he’d gone back early.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite returning to Stohess a week later, and the week after that, no dog owner stepped up to claim the disgusting beast Levi had started to call ‘Dog.’

She’d follow him around his room, tongue lapping, tail wagging, every damn time he was in it! Though he was happy to see her eating and gaining some weight, he couldn’t get a moment of peace in his own space. 

“Go away Dog.” He’d glare at her from his desk chair. 

She would sit patiently, tongue out, ears perked, as if he was going to play with her or some silly notion like it. 

That was ridiculous and completely beneath him. 

He would roll his eyes at her, turning his chair around to deal with paperwork. 

Five or so minutes later, after scratching his way through letter after letter, he’d glance back only to find her, that same stupid happy expression on her face. He’d roll his eyes again, ignoring her until the sun set and his back grew stiff against the padding. He’d arise from his chair to find her curled up on the floor, exact same spot, looking at him expectantly. 

He stretched, letting out a yawn, feeling his age with every crack of his back. God, it must be past 2am again. One of these days, he really needed to take the day off and just try to sleep. Maybe he’d try to get drunk again just for the sake of passing out. 

But Dog perked her head up, looking at him with those glassy orbs. 

_ Can we play now? _ She seemed to say, and Levi had to scoff at himself. Now he was imagining a conversation between him and a dog he didn’t even want. 

“That’s it.” He decided. “We’re going for a walk.”

He shooed her towards the door, careful to not actually hit her with his wide sweeping leg. 

“And remember, no one sees you. You don’t exist.” He warned her. 

She padded out into the hallway, a small and undeniably cute sound of tiny paws against wood reaching his ears. She blended in well with the darkness, only the patches of white on her face and chest shining against it as she looked back at him expectantly. He sighed and followed her through the door.

Dog knew her way around HQ decently by now. Their nighttime walks had become common in the two weeks she’d been staying in his room. It was good for her. Good for him too, he thought begrudgingly. And besides, exercise that wasn’t titan killing was always a welcome distraction from life. 

They exited the building, heading out into the cool nighttime air. Careful to avoid all guard towers, Levi and Dog made their way to the small forest on the side of HQ. It was much too dark to see in there, so they opted to walk alongside it, enjoying what little moonlight illuminated their path. 

Despite her small size, Dog forged ahead of him, fluffy, stumpy legs leaping with every step she took. Every five or so steps she took, she’d look back at him, making sure he followed close behind. 

He stopped. She looked back instantly, ears perked. Why did he stop?

Crouching to her level, Levi extended a hand to her. “Come here Dog.”

She looked at his hand, leaning forward ever so slightly to sniff at it. Nope. No food in there. She returned to looking at him. 

He sighed, reaching into his coat. From within a small pouch, he withdrew one of the scraps of meat he’d scavenged from the kitchen. The cooks usually had some part of meat they couldn’t use, and had happily given them to him upon his asking, though, he remembered, they had been suspicious when he refused to tell them why he needed it. 

Holding the scrap out to her, he once again directed “Come here Dog.”

This time, she gladly padded over to him, fluffy fur inches from the ground, and sniffed at his hand again. He gave her the food, watching her scarf it down in a second flat. 

She returned her pure gaze to him, letting out a yawn that seemed to shake her whole body. Unexpectedly, she padded over to him, and turning in place a few times, settled herself on her paws up against his leg. 

He stiffened. He could feel the soft pressure of her breathing, sort of comforting, in a weird way. 

Reaching down a tentative hand, he brushed his fingertips against the soft dark fur on her back. He trailed them to her head, pausing before pushing his hand against her head in a gentle pet. She nuzzled into his touch. Her head was so small! The whole thing fit under his hand. 

“Don’t think this means anything.” He muttered to her. “I’m still getting rid of you, first chance I get.”

With a start, he realized, this was the first time he had pet her.


	3. Chapter 3

Hanji was the first one to discover Dog.

Levi prided himself on how well he kept his secret from the rest of the Scouts. He didn’t need anyone knowing he’d unwillingly adopted a puppy. He’d be mocked for weeks, months even! And no, he liked his privacy, thank you. His friends and subordinates could shove off. 

They had come back from an expedition late one day, and upon arrival to HQ, Levi had jumped off his horse and promptly collapsed on the ground. He didn’t remember much of what had happened, but the hit he’d taken from fighting a particularly tricky titan must have been worse than he thought. 

He’d woken the next morning in the med bay, a diligent Hanji reading out of a book by his bed.

“Can’t you leave me alone?” He groaned, shifting around.

She idly looked up from her book. “If by leave you alone, you mean leave you in the courtyard on the ground, passed out from jolting your four broken ribs like an idiot, then sure. I’ll leave you alone next time.” She had the audacity to wink at him, a bright smile lighting up the room.

“What do you want, shitty glasses?” He glared at her. 

“Why do you always assume I want something?”

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Do you not?”

“Well no, there is something.” She laughed. “I just thought I’d ask. Anyways, so I was walking past your room last night, and I heard something...whining inside?”

Levi froze.

“And I know how you are about your privacy so I didn’t go in---what are you doing?” Her rambling was cut off by him attempting to sit up. 

“Shut up.” He grunted in pain at the protesting in his ribs. It felt like getting sucker punched in the gut but ten times worse. 

“What are---why---Levi lay back down!” Hanji sputtered, shooting to her feet. She tried to push him back down, unsuccessfully, as Levi was quite motivated. “This is why you always complain about your body aching. Because you never rest!”

“I didn’t ask for you to care!” He hissed at her, sliding his feet off the bed, still fighting off her pestering hands. 

The second he put weight on his legs, pain laced through his body, and he doubled over, clutching the bed frame because he knew if he let go he would fall in a heap on the ground. 

“Oh my god, will you just let me help you?” Hanji rushed to his side, putting her arm under him, steadying his weight, his weak body. “And you always accuse me of having a death wish, honestly!”

“You do.” He grunted, though the jab was only half-hearted. Thinking was a bit challenging as only two things went through his mind. Dog. And pain. 

“Will you tell me what’s going on? Or are you going to make me force you back into that bed?”

“I need to go to my room.” He said, trying to steady his breath. “Now.”

“Okay. Let me help you?” Hanji said. “Please?”

“Fine.” He shot her another glare. 

The two of them set off, Hanji shouldering most of his weight, while he shuffled awkwardly beside her, trying to move his ribs as little as possible. Luckily, the majority of the Scouts were at breakfast and not in the hallways, saving Levi from a fraction of the embarrassment he felt. 

A soft scratching sound met them at his closed door. 

“If you need, I can leave you---”

“It’s fine.” He sighed. “You’d probably find out sooner or later.”

Her demeanor brightened, and she reached for the doorknob. 

“Perfect! I’m glad you feel so trusting!” She smiled. 

She pushed the door inward, expecting, and was visibly disappointed when nothing out of the norm appeared. 

Then she looked down. 

Dog’s innocent face appeared, padding out the door, making a beeline for Levi’s foot. She sniffed him, and after a reassuring lick on his sock, greeted him warmly with a tongue out, ears up. 

“Oh my god! Levi! He’s---”

“She”

“What?”

“She, it’s a she. I mean Dog, she’s a girl.” He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“She’s so cute!” Hanji burst out. 

Levi whipped his head towards her. “What?” He demanded.

“She’s ADORABLE! Here, can you stand up on your own? I want to pet her.” Hanji positioned him against the wall for support, and bent down towards Dog. 

“Come here girl! Come here sweet thing! Awww you’re so cute! Come let me pet you.” She cooed, pure glee in her eyes. 

If moving didn’t hurt him so much, Levi probably would have smacked her for making such annoying noises. “Hanji,” He gasped, trying to steady himself against the wall without success. He was teetering, about to fall. 

“Oops, sorry!” Hanji leapt up to catch him, saving him from a face-first meeting with the floor. “Let’s just take you to your bed, yeah?” She laughed nervously. 

“I’m going to end you.” He gasped, clutching his stomach for dear life. 

“Not if you’re asleep.” She led him inside the room and to his bed. Dog padded along with them at their feet. “And then who would bug you all the time and tell you about science?”

“I don’t want either of those things.” He winced, laying down. 

“Sure you do.” Hanji winked again. “You just don’t want to admit it.” 

He didn’t grace her with an answer, instead, glancing around, he spotted Dog’s little black nose peeking up from the edge of his bed. She wasn’t quite tall enough to reach the top, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to be near him.

“Awww look, she’s trying to find you!” His friend reached down to pick up Dog. “Here you go pup!” And sat her right down on the bed.

Levi’s eyes widened. “Hanji, get her off my bed! Now!”

“But she likes it!” Hanji shot back, gesturing to Dog with both hands. 

Dog lumbered up to his face, giving him a lick right across his cheek, and to his horror, part of his mouth. 

“Hanji!” He spat, grimacing at the thought of all the disgusting contaminants and germs that  _ had  _ to be crawling around Dog’s tongue. 

But Hanji was laughing, she was  _ laughing  _ at him. 

“Awww this is too good! This is too good! I didn’t peg you as a dog guy Levi, but I can see it now!” She bent over, trying to hold her laughter in without success. 

“I’m going to feed you to the next titan I come across.” He muttered under his breath, closing his eyes. 

Dog happily waddled to a spot under his armpit, and, settling down into his blankets, which he was going to make Hanji scrub clean now, rested her little muzzle on his shoulder. She let out a sigh. This was perfect. 

Levi cracked an eye open at her. She kept her crystal clear eyes locked on his face, even as Hanji reached across to pet her fuzzy head and back. Her tail wagged lazily. 

“How long has she been here anyways?” Hanji asked. 

Levi thought for a moment, shifting his gaze upwards. “Two months, give or take a week.”

“TWO MONTHS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?”

“No.” He replied bluntly. 

“But that’s so long! And I didn’t know---no one knew!” Hanji looked at him, wide eyed. “You were keeping her a secret from everyone?”

“Yes.” He replied, closing his eyes. Why was he suddenly so damn  _ tired _ ? “Because I didn’t want this to happen.”

“What to happen?” Her voice echoed. 

“This. You. Freaking out.” He mumbled into a yawn. “It’s just a dog. I’m not keeping her.”

Dog’s small huffs of breath were strangely comforting at his side. They made a soft white noise that he started drifting off to. It was a good thing he kept her so clean because if she helped him fall asleep, this sharing the bed thing might not be a one time thing. 

“You’re giving her away?” Hanji sounded far away, her voice registering deep in his mind. 

“...gotta find...owner…” He breathed before giving in and falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

He didn’t give her away, and after two more weeks, he stopped going back to Stohess altogether. 

No one would be looking for a missing dog for that long. And besides that, Dog had been all but abandoned when he’d found her. 

No, he hadn’t bothered looking into any of the towns surrounding Stohess or the animal adoption clinics inside Wall Rose. And over the next several months, Levi began to not be able to stand the thought of anyone else taking care of his Dog. Who else knew about her exact walking schedule or how she begged for treats? How could anyone else be familiar with the way she snuggled up by his feet while he slept in his chair at night, protectively watching over him for what little time he slept? When would anyone else regularly bath her, making sure to carefully clear out the dirt that always caked between her paws?

It was better, he reasoned, that she stay with him. 

So she did.

Hanji was terrible at keeping his secret, and the entire Scouting Legion found out about Dog before Levi’s ribs had even healed enough for him to walk without wincing. The rumors it had caused were bad, but the absolute invasion of privacy that followed was a nightmare. 

His own subordinates couldn’t seem to keep their noses out of his room when they’d heard. He remembered shooing his entire squad out the door one afternoon, none too kindly, and feeling rather like a gloomy teenager afterwards.

It didn’t help that anytime a visitor came by to see him Dog excitedly wagged her tail and began to pant. Especially Hanji. Dog loved Hanji. 

“You know,” Hanji had mentioned one day as they sat together in his room, playing with Dog and watching her run in circles. “You could have just not kept her a secret. That’s half the reason you’re getting so much attention now.”

“I know.” He had sighed, admiring the dark stripes of Dog’s clean, shiny fur as it ruffled. She was getting so big! She already stood past the height of his knee and was continuing to grow. Her narrow nose and face became more graceful by the day. Her eyes stayed that same clear crystal blue. 

She was quite lovely, for a dog.

And she was his, a fact he often forgot, despite how she began trailing behind him everywhere he went around HQ. Each morning, Dog could be found, seated resolutely between Levi’s feet as he ate breakfast in the mess hall, or at his side while he instructed training exercises, or even while he tended to his and his squad’s horses in the evening. Dog was practically his shadow.

Mike had been the second one to get to know her after Hanji. The large man dwarfed the poor thing when he’d approached her for the first time, and she had cowered in fear. 

“Come here Dog!” He’d held out his hand enthusiastically. 

Levi had observed without saying anything. 

Dog covered her face with her tail, ducking behind Levi’s legs. Mike’s huge smile wavered, he crouched down, keeping his hand outstretched. “She doesn’t like me much, does she.” 

“Just try again.” Levi had sighed. 

“Hey Dog,” He said, his voice higher than Levi had ever heard it before. “Come here girl. Come on!”

Dog lowered her tail, peering between Levi’s boots. She ducked her head out, daring to take a few steps towards Mike’s large hands. He wagged his fingers at her, encouraging her. Finally, they made contact. 

Mike’s resulting grin had split from ear to ear. “She’s a good dog!” He exclaimed, running his hands across her head and back. He ruffled her fur, and she nuzzled into his pets. 

Levi had almost smiled. 

“Looks like she likes you well enough.”

Mike glanced up at him standing there, still grinning. “Ma and Pa raised dogs back home. I grew up around pups like her.” 

He had started playing with Dog’s paws, grabbing them and then jerking his hand away before she could nip at him. Levi continued to watch them wrestle. 

“Where did you get here from? She’s an expensive breed.” He had asked. 

“Found her in Stohess.” Levi responded, taking a seat. “She was a sorry mess, left in an alley to die. I can’t find the owner.”

“You found her?” Mike had asked, eyebrows shooting up. Dog yelped at him, wagging her tail playfully. 

Levi nodded. 

“That’s surprising…she’s such a lovely husky. I don’t know why anyone would leave her like that.”

And Levi hadn’t known either. He had asked Mike if he knew anyone that Dog might belong to, but Mike had just shook his head and laughed. He wasn’t going to help Levi get rid of such a beautiful dog. 

Which just annoyed Levi more. 

Erwin had certainly noticed Dog as well. It wasn’t two days after she’d started coming out with him and he had called Levi into his office and closed the door behind him. 

Levi had frowned at his commander, watching him pace behind his desk and take a seat. “What did you need Erwin?”

Erwin had considered him from behind interlocked fingers.“You have a dog?” He finally asked. 

Levi fought the urge to roll his eyes. The other man would certainly not appreciate it. “I do.” He’d replied stiffly. “Not that it’s yours or anyone else’s damn business.”

Erwin had let out a laugh. “Levi, I don’t care if you have a dog. Hell, it’s probably good for you!”

Levi had glared at him. 

“But regardless,” The Commander continued, “I was thinking of a new approach to tracking titans outside the walls.”

Now  _ that _ was interesting. Levi flicked an eyebrow up. 

“How trained is she? Would you be interested in bringing her on our next expedition?” Erwin had asked. 

“You want to start bringing dogs on expeditions?” Levi responded incredulously. “You must have finally lost it.”

He laughed again. “Well, yes and no. Your dog provides a unique opportunity to see if dogs could be of any use against our foes. They have a heightened sense of smell, and I think they could detect titans long before we see them. We would simply have you bring her along with us and see if she can pick out scents. And I hear she follows you everywhere anyways.” 

Well he wasn’t wrong. 

“She does, but it’s dangerous out there.” Levi reasoned. “She would get in the way. Our procedures and routines are too tight.”

“Are you saying you don’t think she could be an asset?”

“No, I’m saying she’s not a Scout.”

Erwin examined his fingers. “Interesting.”

He let the silence hang in the air. Levi had watched him, waiting.

Erwin finally moved his hands to his desk, smiling up at Levi. “Thank you for coming by. That will be all.”

That very night a knock had sounded on Levi’s door, soft rapping against the wood. Levi had frowned, people didn’t typically visit him at this hour. Opening the door, he’d found Erwin, hands hidden behind his back. 

Dog had padded curiously to the door, tail upward. 

Erwin smiled down on her. “I see why you’re so fond. She’s quite lovely.” He looked back to Levi. “May I come in?”

“You’re already basically in.” Levi rolled his eyes. 

Erwin had just smiled again, strolling into the room, turning so his hands were still behind him. 

“What have you got there?” Levi nodded his head towards Erwin’s hands. 

“A small gift, nothing special.” He’d replied. 

“Oh?” Levi eyed the man suspiciously. 

“Not for you.” Erwin laughed. “Though it might not fit your friend after all.”

He brought his hands in front of him, revealing a green Scouting Legion cape. It looked new, and Levi cocked his head at it. 

“Consider this your dog’s official welcome into the Scouting Legion.” The Commander offered the cape towards Levi who accepted it. “I’ll expect her to join us on the next expedition?” And with a final smile, Erwin turned and left the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. 

Levi just kept looking at the cape. 

And that was how Dog ended up on the next expedition with the Scouting Legion. And the one after that. And the one after that. 

Dog, the newest member of the Scouting Legion. 

She soon became a fixture for the Scouts, a sign of hope and good luck.

Because, if Levi and Dog were at the head of the pack, everything would be just a little bit better. 


	5. Chapter 5

The days when they didn’t all make it back were hard. 

Cold. 

_ Brutal. _

Levi could hardly stand the sick feeling in his gut as he buried another group of squad members. He sank to his knees by their graves: Mark, Samara, Gavin, and dozens more from the Corp had died yesterday. The late autumn leaves crunched under his weight, burdened with a load they couldn’t bear. 

He stared at their headstones, taking each in turn. 

They were so cold, lifeless. A harsh contrast to the people that they symbolized. 

Not two days ago, Samara had taken his horse in for the night, doing him a favor so he could run to a late meeting with the other squad captains. It had been so kind of her, and she had done it without being asked. She simply saw a need and filled it. 

Gavin’s absence would leave the late night fires devoid of his stories and puns. No one could word-play like him, and no one would try for weeks. 

Mark had been a quiet soul, more of an adventurer than anything else. He’d left his small hometown near Wall Shina and a family of 8 behind searching for his purpose in life. 

And none of them mattered in the end. 

They’d given their lives, just like everyone else. 

Now they were here, buried alongside hundreds of others who died equally pointless deaths. 

Levi vaughly wondered how many more deaths it would take to break him as he swallowed a lump in his throat. The chilly air surrounded him like a plague, tendrils of it sneaking into his lungs with each shaky breath, chilling him from the core. 

He couldn’t tell if he was only shaking or if the cold was making him shiver as well.

The unmistakable sound of Dog’s paws, crunching through the leaves, sounded next to him. He glanced to his side just in time to see her curl protectively around him, her warm fur brushing against him. She settled into a sit, head resting on her paws, but her body was solid and firm against his trembling, and he relaxed a little.

_ Better now? _ Her expression seemed to say. His hand automatically drifted to her head, petting her and ruffling her ears.  _ Thanks to you.  _ He thought back. 

Satisfied, she turned her gaze towards the leaves lazily falling from the trees around them. The evening sun illuminated the burning reds and oranges of the foliage. Winter would arrive soon, within days, and the Earth would reject life in turn for ice and cold. 

Levi turned his attention to Dog, her head against his leg. How had he ever made it by without her? She’d only been his for about a year and a half, but he couldn't imagine life without her. 

He’d never been one to express himself verbally, and he knew that scared some people off. But with Dog it was  _ different _ . She didn’t need to hear him talk or feel his pain to know how he felt. It was as though she could read his body language. She knew when he needed space, or when he was too tired to play. 

Times like today, she’d keep her distance until she knew he needed her. 

It was beyond him, but he was beyond grateful for it. Their bond was something he’d never admit he needed. 

They sat there until the sun fell from its place in the sky and darkness rose like a puff of air. Levi really was shivering now. He’d only worn a light jacket to mourn his comrades, not thinking of much other than their faces before he’d left. 

He finally stood, Dog rising next to him. 

“Come on girl. Let’s get back.” 

And together, they wound their way back to HQ.


	6. Chapter 6

Levi couldn't breathe. 

He choked, coughing, willing his lungs to expand. 

They refused. 

He curled into himself, mind short circuiting, counting the seconds.  _ How long can I go without air? _

Not long. 

Finally, after too long, he sucked in a puff of air. He choked again, coughing it away. 

“The hell idiot! We don’t want to kill him!” A voice shouted above him. The heavy sound of someone else slamming into a wall hit his ears.

Another gasp of air

Another coughing fit. 

God, he was going to suffocate. Captain Levi, humanity's strongest, suffocating from a sucker punch. 

And from being stabbed. Multiple times. 

His stomach heaved as he forced himself to breathe. 

No, he wasn’t going to suffocate. 

But he might end up strangling the two idiots above him. He glared at them, even as he sucked in breath after breath. He sounded like he was dying, all rasping and hoarse. 

“Hey hey hey, man, hey---look!” The scrawny one said, pointing frantically at Levi as the bulkier man approached him, winding up a punch. “Look! He’s fine, he’s fine! See?”

The bigger man whipped his head towards where Levi laid, curled up in the corner of the dinghy wooden hut. He examined him wide-eyed for a moment before pointing a finger threateningly at his comrade. “No thanks to you! You’re lucky. One more slip up from you and it’s over.” He turned back to Levi, grimacing. “Sorry about my brother’s idiocy. I swear I can’t leave him alone for ten minutes.”

The floorboards creaked as he approached Levi’s vulnerable form. “I mean, if it was up to me, we’d kill you now.” He examined the blood trailing down Levi’s white trousers. Fresh from the stab wounds. “Hey where did you stab him smart-ass?” He yelled back to his brother. 

The smaller man whimpered pathetically. “Just in the leg. I swear! I swear it was just the leg. He’ll be fine!”

“Course you will be.” the man muttered quietly so only Levi could hear. His foul breath puffed around towards him, and Levi wondered if being able to breathe now was actually furthering his suffering. 

If his hand’s hadn’t been bound together behind his back, he would have punched the man. As it were, his very bones weighed him down like bricks. Bruises were forming on more parts of him than he cared to feel. The initial blow they’d dealt to his head, knocking him unconscious at the time, pounded like a bass drum, each spike injecting dizziness and throbbing into his skull. 

The large man reached for Levi’s leg, prodding it right at the cut. 

Levi’s breathing hitched at the touch, a hot spike of pain flaring up. 

“When did the boss say they’d get here?” He yelled out again. “I want to make sure he isn’t going to bleed out from your idiocy before then, but I don’t care if they’re showing up soon. It’s not our problem once they take him.”

“I--I don’t know, they should have been here by now!” Came the still frantic reply. 

Levi watched as the larger man rolled his eyes, stalking back towards his brother. He let out a silent breath, groaning quietly into it. Though he was grateful for the brief lack of attention on him, he too wondered what the next few minutes would bring him. 

He tuned out the sounds of the two brothers squabbling, instead taking stock of his injuries. He could probably stand, though his injured leg would be shaky and not very good for fighting his way out of this situation. He likely also had a concussion, coupled with his aching body and bound hands, he was in no shape to be fighting. Not only that, but he’d have to take down both men before he could flee.

Assuming he could run. 

He shifted on the floor, bracing himself against the wall he’d been thrown against. The small movement made his body protest, battered and bloodied as it was, and he hissed in pain. 

This was  _ not  _ going well. 

Through some sheer force of will, Levi convinced himself to try again, this time successfully pushing himself onto his elbow. 

The two brothers continued to argue, some shows of force being included now in their conversation. Slaps echoed around the hut, but they paid him no mind as he continued to struggle to a sitting position. 

Finally, he pushed himself up onto shaky legs, his injured one threatening to give out on him any second. He forced himself to breathe, chest heaving again. 

The bigger man noticed him first.

“Hey,” He shouted, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Levi didn’t grace him with an answer. Instead, he shifted his weight, wincing as he positioned himself mostly on his hurt leg. He braced it back, readying his good leg to dash. 

As expected, the bigger man began to move toward him. “Get back you rat.” He snarled, baring his teeth. 

This was going to hurt like hell. 

A growl echoed around the space, and Levi braced for the impending impact. 

But it never came. 

A blur of white and black flashed before crashing into the larger man. 

Dog. 

She’d come to rescue him. 

Levi watched, dumbfounded, as she tore into the man’s flesh, teeth digging into his hip. The man screamed in pain, loud enough that the echo could be heard outside. But Dog didn’t stop there. She tore at him with a ferocity Levi had only seen her show around titans. Her paws slashed into the man’s side, his face, his back, tethered by nothing except a pure drive to protect.

The smaller brother shook himself out of his horror, screaming in terror. Dog whipped her head around towards him, snarling, looking more like a wild wolf or rabid beast than a tame dog. She stalked towards the other man, letting out a deep, guttural growl, every step silent as she drew closer to him. 

He screamed again, tripping and falling as he scrambled away from her. He shoved himself forcefully to his feet and grasped desperately at the wooden doorframe. He flung it open, nearly collapsing in a heap, and dove out the door. 

Levi heard his cries fade into the distance. 

The other man groaned from the ground, fully incapacitated. Levi didn’t know if he should be horrified or relieved at the deep crimson blood pooling everywhere. 

Dog turned as though noticing Levi for the first time. She trotted over to him, letting out a soft whine. 

In the aftermath of the sudden chaos, Levi had forgotten about his injuries. It all came back to him, hitting him like a ton of bricks, and he collapsed, falling on his knees then pitching forward on his face, breathing heavily. 

But it was okay. She had come for him. 

His stab wound flared to life again, and he gasped, looking down. 

Dog was licking at his cuts, seeing his hurt, and doing what she could to help. He winced as she applied pressure, cleaning the cuts. 

“...Dog...don’t…” He tried, but she had already started on the next open wound. He let out a low groan, trying to suppress the urge to kick her away. She was trying to help, the only problem was he thought he might pass out. 

“...You need...to stop…” He tried again, voice barely audible. 

Dog continued for another moment, then, satisfied, she turned her attention on his face, bringing her nose in close, her narrow snout right in Levi’s face. She sniffed him, licked his cheek, her scent filling his nose. Then she rested a single paw on his side. 

She waited, watching him.

“...I’m fine girl…” He breathed. “I’m okay.”

She clearly didn’t believe him, letting out another whine, this one sounding oddly incredulous. 

He shot her what he hoped was an annoyed look. “...Don’t start...with that attitude again.”

She shook her head around, giving off a single bark. 

He rolled his eyes at her, wincing at the pain spiking through his skull. “Okay, okay. You win. You win this round.” His chest heaved again, soreness creeping into each inhale. He closed his eyes, exhausted.

A moment later, he heard Dog move and then felt her press herself against his body. He cracked an eye open to see her curled up form, nearly as big as he was, nestled into his on the ground. Her body warmed him, the small rise and fall of her breaths against his comforting. 

He prayed someone from the Scouts was close behind her, but for now that was all he could do as he surrendered his consciousness to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Levi awoke to a sudden jerk. 

He gasped, sitting up. 

Well, he tried to sit up. He made it about half way before a rush of soreness and tight aches blocked his attempt. He collapsed back, head hitting something soft. 

He picked up a distinct smell of animal and looked up to see Dog, peering down at him with familiar ice blue eyes. 

“Hey girl.” He breathed, bringing a sore arm up over his face. They were outside, and he felt the rumbling of the road beneath them. A horse whinnied nearby. He must be in a wagon.

“Hey Levi!” A high feminie voice sounded from above. “About time you woke up!”

He groaned. Hanji’s timing, as always, fit poorly with his headache schedule.

“Hanji. Do you remember what I said last time I woke up to your shitty face?” He deadpanned without moving his arm. 

“Of course not!” She said back. “You forget, I have selective memory retention. I only keep the important things up here.” He could almost see her tapping her head, as she surely would be doing. 

Another sharp jostle had him cursing a string of expletives. 

“What the fuck shitty hell---” He glared through pain squinted eyes at the wagon he rode in. A standard wooden Scouting Legion supply wagon. “Why am I in a supply wagon?” He demanded. 

“Because,” She responded in a sing-songy voice as she rode alongside the cart on her horse. “Someone went missing, and when we---or Dog I should say---found you, you were in such a sorry state no one wanted to carry you back.” She looked him over with amused eyes. “Honestly, I’m surprised you let those thugs give you such a beating! You should have seen how dirty you were!”

Dog huffed next to him, as if agreeing with her sentiment. 

He shot her a dirty look.  _ Don’t you side with her.  _ He thought. 

Dog huffed again.

“Hang on,” He paused, mind moving through mush. “Dog...found me? How?”

Hanji shrugged. “We found her and your horse tied to a tree. She went berserk like that—“ She snapped her finger “—as soon as we untied her. Started rushing off into the trees.”

Levi listened, trying to sort through the facts, but the words blurred through his brain, like when he first learned how to read. 

“We didn’t know what she was doing or where she was going,” Hanji continued. “But then we found blood.” She frowned, looking down at the ground. “And...well, it wasn’t so fun for a minute…but then we Dog led us right to you!” 

“That’s...good.” He mumbled.

“Sure is! And she had taken care of the men that attacked you. It was pretty gruesome by the time we got there, but the two of you were just sitting there waiting for us like a couple of kids.”

So, Dog had tracked him...followed him as he had been dragged—literally—through the forest. He winced as the wagon hit another bump. 

Dog lowered her head to rest on him. She breathed out, the soft puff hitting his cheek. 

“You did good, girl.” He whispered, weakly petting her head. Pulling her head in close, they touched foreheads together, just a man and his dog. 

Unbeknownst to him, Hanji smiled at the sight and nudged her horse onward. 

Dog laid herself down in the wagon bed next to him, settling her weight against the rickety wood. He felt her push up against him, constant, alive. Safe.

They once again scraped through a sticky situation, but this time he literally had no one to thank but her. She somehow single handed—or single-pawedly?—saved him from a very unpleasant future. 

With his line of work, life rarely held peace and quiet. But with Dog at his side, he had a feeling things would continue to work out just fine. 

He ran a hand through her fur, breathing in her musky scent. 

“Thank you.” He whispered, the two words holding much more meaning than normal. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I’m getting really close to posting a new work for Attack on Titan. This new one will be approximately 20 chapters long, have a detailed and organized plot, contain lots of Levi, and is well though through and edited. I’m so excited, so for those of you who follow my attack on titan works, get ready!


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